Thorne
by Pica Britanica
Summary: Things are changing in Neverland, the balance is being tipped, and all because of one teenage girl who has a score to settle with Captain Jas. Hook. It's a better story than summary, honest!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Been working on this idea for a while, I hope you like it. Please remember to leave me a review.**

**Disclaimer: Peter Pan belongs to J.M Barrie, which isn't me. Kaitlin Thorne and related characters belong to me. **

It was the same every time, Peter would find the Darling house, take his new mother, and return a while later to bring her home. And then, he'd leave for some time before coming to find the next. However, on leaving this time he was given a parting gift.

"Peter," an older voice called from the window.

Peter turned to see Jane at the window with her granddaughter, she was much too old to join him now, but Peter returned to the window all the same. "Yes?" he asked.

"I have a present for you." Jane smiled holding out a small box.

"Thank you." Peter replied, bowing courteously. He looked at the box with great intensity and looked up, "When can I open it?" he asked.

"Now if you like, silly." Jane laughed.

Peter carefully began to unwrap the little box; he pulled off the lid and cocked his head. He pulled out the little locket and held it up in the moonlight. "What is it?" he asked.

"A locket, open it."

Peter dutifully opened the clasp and read the inscription. It was an address. "What does it mean?"

"We're moving house Peter, to the country. This will make sure you know where to go when you come next time." Moira explained.

Peter grinned, "Thanks. I won't forget." he assured them, slipping the locket around his neck and shoving it under his tattered shirt. And with that, he flew off into the night. Jane shook her head and looked down at her sleepy granddaughter, "He'll forget." she laughed.

* * *

Kaitlin was in the barn, practising again. She flicked her foil at the target and spun – two hits. The buzzer sounded and she dropped her pose. She was exhausted; she'd been practising for two hours now. She collapsed onto the nearby hay bales and took off her gloves. Her friend and mentor, Elliot Flynn, pushed himself away from the wall of the barn and applauded. "Well done, Kait, you're doing really well."

Kait laughed and pushed her dark hair from her eyes, "Thanks Flynn, but I disagree." She grabbed her water bottle and took a swig, "Again?" she asked, standing and taking up her favoured weapon. It was a glistening sword with a rose pattern up the hilt, with the thorny stem down the blade. It had been a gift from her father, Alexander Thorne. Seeing as she was the eldest child, the heirloom had been passed down to her.

"Go on then Thorne, if you think you can beat me!" Flynn laughed as he picked up his own sword with a flourish, "but no blood please. Just three hits."

Kait sighed, "Fine." before readying herself and settling into her most comfortable stance. She waited for Flynn to make the first move this time, rocking out of his way as he lunged for her and tapping him gently on the shoulder as he passed her completely. "Don't play cute Flynn." she moaned, that one had been too easy. He was trying to flirt again.

Flynn laughed and shrugged, "Can't blame a guy for trying." Suddenly he attacked from the right, bringing his blade swinging in hard; Kait parried nimbly and knocked her shoulder into his. He stumbled back and aimed low, for her leg, Kait blocked it, but realised too late that it was a feint, and only just managed to block the attack to her side. They paused, grinning like fools, before the battle began again. Flynn managed to get a hit to the back of Kait's leg and Kait got another hit on Flynn's arm.

"Come on, put some effort in!" Kait goaded as they circled each other. It worked, Flynn gave a grunt of frustration and aimed for her side again, which Kait easily parried and cartwheeled out of his way. She flung her sword up in the air and dropped to the ground, swinging her leg out and catching Flynn's, knocking him to the floor. She stood quickly and caught her sword, placing it gently against Flynn's prone neck. "I win!" she smiled.

"You do indeed. Have you been taking secret lessons I don't know about?" Flynn laughed. Kait shook her head and held out a hand; Flynn took it and pulled himself up. "I'm starting to think it's me who should be taking the lessons here." he said.

There was a small cough from over by the door. The pair whirled around to find Kait's younger brother Jake, peering around the frame, "Kitty, mummy says it's time to finish now. Granny and Gramps are coming in a bit. And you need to change."

"Okay, pipsqueak. I'm coming." Kait smiled as she sheathed her sword and shoved all her stuff back in her bag. She turned to see that Flynn had already packed up his stuff and hidden the targets under the tarpaulin. "Thanks Flynn." she smiled as they left the barn. She pulled the padlock from her bag and locked it.

"Same time tomorrow?" Flynn asked as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder.

"Yeah okay." Kait replied. She watched as Flynn leapt the fence separating her family's land from his. Flynn was the son of a nearby farmer and Kait's best friend; he was also the reigning champion of all things sporty in the area. A good friend to have – no-one dared fight him.

"See you later then," Flynn waved as he set off running home, "Bye Sprog!" he called to Jake.

Jake waved back, "Bye!" he turned to Kait, and held out his arms.

Kait laughed and scooped him up onto her back, where he clung like a little monkey. "You can carry this then Jakey." she said, handing him her bag. It wasn't too heavy and she had the sword at her hip anyway. She waited for Jake to position the bag in a way that wouldn't hurt him too much before setting off down the hill to the house.

Once they reached the walled gardens of the house Kait knelt down and let Jake hop off. He handed her back her bag and opened the secret door for her. They slipped inside and went through the garden into the old servant's hall. It had all Kait's stuff in one cupboard, so she ditched her bag there and changed out of her training gear. She dumped the gear in the wash basket and made her way up to her room to shower before meeting her grandparents later on. She noticed as she made her way through her bedroom to the bathroom that her mother had placed out a nice new dress for her, it wasn't too bad actually. She showered quickly and changed into the pretty pale blue dress. Looking at herself in the full length mirror she realised that she was developing a bruise on her shoulder, she sighed and found a small white shrug to hide it. She heard the knock at the front door and ran down the stairs to the reception room where her mother and Jake sat, waiting for her to arrive.

"You found it alright then?" her mother asked, pushing a curl of dark hair out of Kait's face.

"Yes thank you, it's lovely." Kait smiled as she took her seat next to the fire.

The door opened and the housekeeper, Mrs Sharp walked in, "Lord and Lady Thorne are here, shall I show them in?" she asked nodding her head to Kait's mother, Mrs Thorne.

"Yes thank you Mrs Sharp." Mrs Thorne smiled, once Mrs Sharp had left she turned to her two children, "Best behaviour please you two, you know how your Grandmother gets." she winked.

Jake and Kaitlin nodded and sat up a little straighter as their grandparents entered. Lady Thorne was entered first, her eyes darting around the room looking for something to complain about, she was quickly followed by her husband, Lord Thorne, a bumbling old man who laughed at anything. It was he who spoke first, "Ah Moira, how are you?" he asked, embracing Kait's mother.

"Fine thank you Winston, and how are you both?"

Lady Thorne cut in before Lord Thorne could speak, "Terrible, absolutely terrible!" she grumbled, and so it had begun, Lady Thorne was notorious for her rambling tirades. She could always be called upon to bore you to death.

Kaitlin decided to tune out for most of the afternoon, politely answering when she needed to and keeping quiet the rest of the time. Eventually Lord and Lady Thorne took their leave and the house went back to normal, Kait's mother retired to her studio to write and paint, Jake was playing in his bedroom and Kait went to clean off her equipment. She changed out of her dress into a hoodie and jeans before going down to the servant's hall, there she sat polishing her already gleaming sword when her mother came down. She no longer wore the skirt and blouse she had been wearing earlier, but instead wore faded dungarees and a paint splattered t-shirt. Her unruly hair was pulled up under a bandana and her face was covered in speckles of paint.

"Still polishing that sword Kitty?" she laughed as she came down the steps.

"Uh-huh," Kait nodded as she held up the spotless weapon. "How's the latest masterpiece going?" she smiled, turning to face her mother.

"Very well thank you, I'm taking a break for a bit. Do you know where I left my riding gear last week?"

It's in the cupboard," Kait shook her head, she pointed to the specific cupboard in the corner of the room with her blade, "are you taking Storm?" she asked. Storm was the stallion they had acquired from an old friend of the family a few months back. He was her mother's favourite horse and secretly, Kait's too.

"Nope, I thought I'd give Artemis a turn."

"Okay, how long will you be?"

"Not too long, but I'm going to Sandra's so could you get Jakey to bed for me?"

Kait laughed, "I won't wait up then, if you're at Auntie Sandra's you'll be gone forever. Mrs Sharp's staying right?"

"Of course, do you think I'd let you two stay home alone, who knows what you'd get up to!" her mother laughed as she wrapped her arms around Kait, "I won't be too late back. Sandy just wants to go through things for the wedding."

"Okay mum," Kait smiled, she turned and hugged her back, "Just don't tire poor Arty out."

Her mother laughed and planted a kiss on her head, "I won't." she laughed and left to change for her trip. Kait smiled in spite of herself and sighed. Time to get Jake ready for bed then. She put her sword back in its sheath and went up stairs. She carefully placed the sword in it's case in her room before going down the hallway to Jake's room.

"Jakey, it's almost time for bed." she called through the door.

"Okay." came Jake's reply. There was a clattering of toys being put away as Kait turned to leave. "Kitty," the call stopped her in her tracks.

"Yeah?" she called back.

"Can I have a story?" Jake asked. Kait smiled and opened the door. Jake was already in bed with his pyjamas on, waiting patiently for a story.

"Go on then." Kait laughed, she sat on the end of his bed and told him stories until he went to sleep. _Well, that went pretty smoothly_, she thought to herself. She crept out of the room and decided to find some food before she went to bed.

She met Mrs Sharp in the kitchen, "Hello dear, y'alright?" the old woman asked. Mrs Sharp had been more like a grandmother to her than Lady Thorne ever had, and Kait was eternally grateful for the older woman's support and help around the house.

"I'm just looking for food." Kait admitted.

"Now then, little 'un, if you eat much more, you might pop!" Mrs Sharp laughed; she poked Kait with a knitting needle, "Off t' bed with you now."

"Alright, alright I'm going!" Kait laughed as she dodged the sharp point of the needle, she scampered back up the stairs and into her room, where she changed quickly into her pyjamas and settled against the window to read. It wasn't long before she fell asleep; apparently she had been very tired.

**A/N: I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. And don't worry, Peter will be showing up again shortly. Please don't forget to leave a review. Thanks.**  
**Mags**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan.**

Kait woke some time later when she heard a clattering from behind her. Her eyes instantly snapped open and she realised the window was wide open, she whirled around and looked around her gloomy bedroom, "Where are you?" she growled. She stood up and slid over to the light switch, which was right next to her sword case, she gripped the hilt of her sword and flicked on the lights… there was no one in her room, at least, not on the floor anyway. She looked up to see a boy plastered against the ceiling.

"You…" she breathed. She lowered her sword and stepped back as Peter Pan slowly floated to the ground. He bowed in front of her and looked up shyly.

"This is impossible," Kait laughed. She shook her head, "Peter Pan? That's just ridiculous; please tell me I'm dreaming."

"You're dreaming?" Peter frowned; he was slightly bemused by this strange Wendy in front of him. "What's your name girl?" he asked before Kait could start rambling again.

"Kaitlin Elizabeth Thorne."

"How do you do?" Peter said, bowing again.

"You don't have to bow." Kait laughed. She stepped out of her shadowy corner and closer to Peter. "It's not the 1890s any more."

Peter frowned, but said nothing. A jingling sound interrupted the silence that had fallen and a ball of light zoomed out from Kait's wardrobe. Peter smiled, "She says she likes you, you're not a proper lady either." The ball of light came to rest on Peter's shoulder and Kait realised it was his fairy.

"Thanks… I think." Kait frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Peter blushed, "I was coming to take you to be my mother… but I got lost, Yorkshire is a hard place to find."

Kait laughed, "You're a few years too late, I already grew up." She realised she was still gripping her sword tightly and decided to sheath it.

Peter looked distraught, "But you're not too grown up! You can't be, you can't!"

Tinker Bell chimed again, Peter paused his tantrum to listen, "She says she wants you to come, feral child."

Kait laughed in spite of herself, "Feral child? I'm no feral child!"

"But will you come?" Peter asked again.

Kait rolled her eyes, "Fine. Let me get my stuff first." She slipped into the wardrobe and pulled together some clothes, "Stay here. And don't touch my stuff!" she warned. She ran into the bathroom and changed into the clothes she had gathered. She then whirled around the room grabbing more clothes and her sword, she slipped the belt around her waist and clipped the on the sheath. She looked at her bag of clothes and realised she's left her knife and bow down in the servant's hall. What was she thinking! "Same rules apply." She whispered as she slipped out into the hall and scurried silently down the stairs to the servant's hall. The old house looked eerie in the gloom but Kait daren't turn on the light in case Mrs Sharp came and found her. She darted across to her gear and pulled out her knife and bow, and a full quiver of arrows, just in case. She slipped the bow over her shoulder so that it crossed her chest like a sash and slipped the knife into the random pocket in her boot. Finally, that came in useful.

She ran back up to her room and found Peter going through her notepad. She coughed gently and raised an eyebrow at him. He looked up impishly and pushed it away, "These stories are good. But what does that mean?" he pointed to the word 'dishevelled'

Kait laughed, "Look in the mirror, it's your appearance." Peter dutifully did as he was told and stood in front of Kait's mirror to look at his appearance. Kait shook her head as she watched him, "What now then?" she asked when he had finished.

Peter grinned, "This." He glanced at Tinker Bell, who flew wildly around the room before hovering above Kait and shaking shimmering dust all over her. "Are you ready?" Peter asked, holding out a hand from where he stood in the window.

Kait nodded and took his hand; she pulled herself up onto the windowsill and took a breath. She laughed shakily and looked at Peter. "Look down," Peter whispered in her ear. Kait glanced down at her feet and gasped, she was floating in the air. Kait gave a whoop of laughter and shot forward into the night. She tumbled in the air and giggled like a child.

"Oh wow!" she gasped, she spun in the air before flying back to where Peter hovered in the air. "This is amazing." Peter grinned and stuck his chin out proudly. Kait smiled at him for a while before glancing back at the house, "Jake…" she whispered, and realised that she was falling to the ground.

Peter grabbed her hand and slowed her fall, "What's wrong?" he asked as they landed.

"My brother." Kait murmured.

"He can come too if you like." Peter shrugged.

"No he can't." Kait shook her head, she was about to fly back up to her bedroom when the back door opened and Mrs Sharp walked out, her knitting still in her hand.

For a minute nobody spoke, they all just stared at each other. Mrs Sharp broke the silence, "Go on then girly, it's about time."

Kait was really confused, "What?" she asked.

"It's about time you went off to Neverland too. Why d'you think your mother keeps me around? Silly lass." Mrs Sharp laughed. "I'll look after the little one, go on. Peter needs a mother." she smiled at Peter.

"But, you… you're telling me to go?" Kait said, a small smile forming on her face. Mrs Sharp nodded and crossed her arms.

Peter turned to Kait and held out a hand, "Come on then." he grinned. Kait cautiously took his hand and felt herself lifting again.

She turned back to Mrs Sharp and waved, "Good bye!" she called back as they sped off into the night, Kaitlin still gripping Peter's hand tightly.

Peter glanced down at her as they flew, "What shall I call you?" he asked.

Kait frowned, "I don't know… My friends call me Kait. My family call me Kitty."

"Kait... Yes, Kait. Come on Kait!" He crowed loudly and shot off into the night sky, leaving Kait and Tink staring after him.

"Does he do this often?" Kait asked Tink. Tink nodded and sighed, "Come on then, we'd better catch up with him." Kait laughed as she too sped forward into the darkness. She smiled and sped up, doing her best to overtake Peter. They raced and played tag and wrestled all the way to Neverland, without either of them noticing that they were well on their way to another great adventure.

**A/N: So let me know what you think, reviews = love (and cookies, obviously)  
Mags**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So here we go, another chapter of what I hope will be an enjoyable story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan, only Kaitlin Thorne. Peter Pan belongs to J.M Barrie and Great Ormond Street Hospital.**

Peter tumbled through the air laughing and whooping as he went. "Kait, come on!" he called back. He spun and watched as his new friend and mother sped towards him.

Kait somersaulted and caught Peter by the arm to steady herself, "This is amazing!" she gasped.

"I thought you'd like it," Peter smiled, he pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, "Look down."

Kait did as he said, her breath caught in her throat as she realised where she was, "Neverland!" she breathed. She glanced at Peter with a grin before diving towards the shimmering island, "Come on then!" she whooped as she plummeted downwards.

Peter laughed and looked at the little fairy sat on his shoulder, "She's going to be fun." Tink observed. Peter couldn't agree more; he shrugged the fairy off and zoomed after Kait. The pair spiralled and leapfrogged their way to the hideout.

Peter was the first to realise that they were home; he stopped mid-leap, "We're here Kait, the hideout." he said holding out a hand.

Kait looked up at the huge tree in front of her, surveying the many almost hidden entrances and windows, "That's awesome." she laughed, she flew up to one of the higher entrances and lifted the cover of leaves, "It's a slide!" she chuckled.

Peter flew up to join her, "Yup!" He kicked her from behind and sent her speeding down the slide head first, screaming like a banshee. Peter meanwhile laughed so hard he fell off the branch he had been sitting on. He slipped through a different entrance and waited for Kait to fall to the ground in front of him. He was a bit confused when she didn't appear; he wandered over to the hole where he had expected her to fall from, and looked up. At that point, Kait decided to drop from her hiding place onto him. Peter gave a cry of surprise.

"Got you back!" Kait grinned as she helped him up.

"Fair enough." Peter laughed. He turned on his heel and whistled loudly, a clattering of feet could be heard from all around the hideout as the lost boys assembled in front of Peter and Kait. "Boys, meet Kait. She's our new mother." Peter exclaimed proudly. He turned to Kait, "Shall I introduce the rabble?"

"I think that'd be a good idea." Kait nodded and sat in the nearest chair, which happened to be Peter's favourite chair, though no-one pointed this out.

Peter cleared his throat, "This is Slightly, he's my right hand man... erm boy." The boy in question stepped forwards and shook Kait's hand in a very gentlemanly manner, "This is Nibs," a boy with wild hair and eager eyes stepped forward; he had an air of arrogant courage about him too. "This is Curly," Peter pointed to a boy with lovely blond curls that framed his face, Curly glanced at Peter and then at Kait before going bright red and looking at the floor, "Come on Curly, she doesn't bite… do you?" Peter asked, as though he was considering that she might bite.

"No, I don't." Kait laughed as she swung her legs in the chair.

Curly stepped forward and blushed again, "These are the Twins." Peter said as the two boys stepped forward. They looked exactly the same! Same brown hair and eyes, same nose and grin, same height, Kait was sure she could find some difference between them if she looked hard enough, but alas, Peter moved on to his next boy, "This is Tootles." The smallest boy, Tootles was a whirlwind of energy with big bright eyes and a grin from ear to ear, he shook Kait's hand vigorously.

"Nice to meet you!" he said loudly, possibly a little louder than necessary but no-one complained.

"Nice to meet you too." Kait laughed, giving him a good handshake back.

Peter smiled as he watched the lost boys and Kait, all at once the boys began shouting over each other and asking random questions for their new mother. One in particular caught everyone's attention. "Do you tell stories?"

The room hushed to hear Kait's reply, "Stories… Do I tell stories? What sort of a mother doesn't tell stories!" she cried in mock horror, "Of course I tell stories!"

Cheers erupted in the room. The boys quickly settled themselves into different positions around the house under the ground. Peter settled in a nearby chair and watched as the other boys did the same. Nibs took the hammock, Slightly curled up against the wall, the twins laid on a single bed, in exactly the same pose… weird. Curly sat quietly on the floor by Peter's chair, Tootles however, had got as close to Kait as he possibly could without actually sitting on her knee. Once all the boys were settled and quiet, Kait began her story.

The story had them enchanted, but one by one the boys succumbed to the melodic, soothing voice of their new mother and fell asleep. Only Peter and Nibs remained awake to the end, "And that, is how Snow White saved her family from the evil ninja!" Kait finished. Peter and Nibs began to applaud, and Kait gave a flourishing bow. She laughed and hushed them, "Let the little ones sleep." she smiled at the scattered sleeping boys.

Peter looked around, noticing for the first time that the boys were indeed asleep. "Do you want to see the island?" he asked quietly, mischievous eyes smiling up at Kait.

Kait frowned for a moment before saying, "What about this lot?" she gestured to the boys around them.

Peter grinned, "Nibs can handle them. Can't you Nibs?" he looked at the boy hopefully. Nibs smiled knowingly and nodded silently; Peter crowed and grabbed Kait's hand. "Come on then, we'll be back soon." He called back to Nibs.

Kait laughed as they burst out of the hideaway into the night sky. "Where to then?" she asked, blade in hand and ready for action. Peter had never met a girl like her; she was nothing like the mothers he had brought to Neverland before. She had all the ferocity of Jane with Wendy's beauty and Moira's charming wit. She was the best bits of all the mothers he had ever had, Peter glanced at her surreptitiously, there was something else about her though, something different to the others, something new.

She must have noticed him watching her, because Kait turned to look at him, "What?" she asked bluntly, oh, yeah, and she had Margaret's sharp tongue.

"Nothing." Peter laughed, he rose easily into the sky and was pleasantly surprised when Kait did the same. "What would you like to see first?"

Kait was about to speak when a shrill cry rang out across the island. The pair froze and looked at each other, it was Kait who spoke first after the silence, "Let's go see what that was!" she grinned. Suddenly, she was soaring through the air in the direction of the scream, leaving Peter looking after her.

Peter shook himself slightly before flying after her, he saw her dip down between the trees and followed. He easily caught up with her as she hovered among the trees. She saw him and held up a single finger to her lips before pointing ahead of her. Peter looked in the direction she had pointed and saw a young indian girl surrounded by pirates. Peter snarled and gripped the sword that hung at his hip. He saw Kait unsheathe her own sword, and nodded at her.

The pair darted from their hiding place and attacked. Peter went for the nearest two while Kait swooped down and plucked the little girl from among the savage pirates and deposited her on a branch of a nearby tree. "Stay there until I come for you." she said, brushing a tear from the girl's face and joining the fight behind her.

Peter was having no trouble with the pirates; they were useless fighters and didn't know how to defend against a pair of angry children. "We're not scared of you, boy!" one pirate spat.

Kait laughed and caught their attention, "Who ever said it was him you should be scared of?" she asked. She smiled and swung her sword catching one instantly on the back of the knee, forcing him to the ground; she ducked under the next pirate's blade before swiping her own across his chest. She spun around and kicked the nearest pirate square between the legs, sending him crumpling to the ground with his comrades.

Soon there was only one pirate left standing, and Peter hadn't been the cause of any of it. He stared bewildered at the ferocious girl in front of him, and then looked at the chaos she had created.

"I suggest, you leave." Kait snarled at the remaining pirate. She didn't need to tell him twice, the pirate turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could into the dense forest, and was soon out of sight. Kait laughed and leapt into the air to retrieve the small girl, "It's okay now," she soothed, "No-one will hurt you now."

The girl flung herself into Kait's arms and she gently brought her down to the ground. The little girl looked terrified and clung desperately to Kait, her hands knotted around her neck. Peter smiled gently at her and said, "Shall we get you home now little one?" The girl nodded and sniffled. "Come on then." Peter rose into the air and felt Kait follow suit, the girl still clinging to her.

**A/N: I would like to say a small thank you to those who have taken the time to read my story, and those who have favourited and reviewed. Please keep said reviews coming, I love to hear from my fellow aspiring authors and avid readers. Until next week,  
Mags**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, this was unexpected. I just felt like updating, so here you go. Please remember to leave a review, they mean the world to me. :)**

It didn't take them long to reach the Indian camp, and the chief met them at the gates. "Peter, we thank you for returning our little Dancing Minnow." he boomed.

Peter bowed gracefully, "This once I can't take the praise, it was my new mother, Kait, who saved Dancing Minnow." He turned slightly to Kait as she landed beside him and grinned.

The chief smiled down at Kait and inclined his head, "Then we thank you, and ask that you come and join our festivities." He clapped his hands loudly and the gates swung open, revealing a bustling camp inside with lanterns strung up, lighting the camp in a warm orange glow.

Kait set Minnow down on the ground and nodded her head politely, "Thanks, but shouldn't we be getting back to the boys Peter?"

Peter and the chief laughed, "They have already arrived, young one. Come, we celebrate." It seemed that was the last on the matter as the chief turned and headed into the village, Peter followed immediately after, but Kait hovered behind a second. She felt a small hand take hers and looked down to see Minnow smiling up at her.

"Come." the tiny girl said, grinning from ear to ear. Kait found it hard to refuse anything so adorable, and so followed the beaming little girl into the village, the gates swinging shut behind them. The entire village seemed to have gathered at the centre of the camp, where a huge bonfire swirled up into the inky black sky above. Kait was shown to a spot between Peter and a beautiful woman about her age. Her raven black hair was tied into a plait and had coloured string and feathers decorating it.

"Kait, this is Tiger Lily!" Peter said proudly, gesturing to the woman.

The woman smiled and took Kait's hand in her own, "I am glad to meet you, I hope your adventures here will be plentiful."

Kait smiled, "I hope they will be too." The girls laughed and began to talk to each other for a great deal of time, leaving Peter to talk to Nibs.

"What do you think of Kait then?" he asked quietly.

Nibs frowned for a moment before answering, "She's something new."

Peter laughed and was about to speak when the festivities suddenly began. A group of girls leapt to their feet and began to dance to the music that begun out of nowhere. All conversation was forgotten as the crowd was transfixed by the dancers. Little Minnow burst from within the dancers and grabbed both Peter and Kait's wrists, pulling them from their seats and into the dance. Apparently this was a signal of sorts, for everyone else gathered around the fire rose to dance too.

Minnow disappeared somewhere, leaving Peter and Kait to dance with each other. Peter was surprised to find that however fast he tried to push Kait, she managed to push him further. They became a blur of limbs and giggles, and a new circle was formed away from the fire, surrounding the pair as they whirled and swooped and danced themselves into a frenzy. The dance only ended when Kait collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud and a crack, ending the music as well. Peter ran over to his formidable dancing partner to help. "Kait!" he cried, "Are you alright?"

Kait drew a ragged breath and laughed, "I'm fine, I just landed funny that's all." She tried to stand up, but cried out in agony as she tried to place weight on her right foot. Peter dashed forward and caught her as she fell.

"Put me down Peter, I'm fine!" she snapped. Peter was having none of it, he flew out of the circle and over to a small hut in the quieter section of the village, away from the heat of the fire. "Peter, seriously it's nothing." Kait protested as Peter laid her on the mattress in the hut.

An elderly woman pushed open the curtains and said, "I will take care of the girl, little bird, go back to the party now." Peter looked as though he was about to protest, but a fierce glare from the old woman killed the words in his mouth and he left silently, glancing back at his new mother only once.

Kait watched the old woman as she gently undid the laces of Kait's boot and eased it off her injured foot. "Now child, what is your name?"

"My name's Kaitlin Thorne." Kait said in a timid voice, "What's yours?"

The old woman smiled, "I am known as Healer."

"But what's your real name?" Kait asked.

Healer laughed, "Very clever, my name is Orchid. But I do not use that name now I have my title."

Kait thought about this for a second, "Why were you so bothered about knowing my real name then, if you use one that isn't your real name anyway?"

"Healer is my name, my title, and my role. You aren't like that though. You haven't been given your title, because you do not know your role yet."

Kait blinked, trying to comprehend Healer's words. "Don't worry yourself over what I have said; it will be clear in time. Now, we must see if I can fix this ankle of yours." Healer set to work on Kait's ankle, stretching it out and gently pressing the tender area to find the cause.

After a while of this, Healer smiled, "You'll be fine child, it seems Neverland likes you a lot, she has already fixed the bone, I just need to wrap it for the night."

Kait frowned, "What do you mean Neverland already fixed the bone?"

"What I said, she already healed it. I don't need to." Healer shrugged as she found a bandage to wrap Kait's ankle. It was then that a small cough at the entrance to the hut caught their attention, Healer smiled at Kait, "Come in then Wild One."

Slightly slipped into the dim hut with a grin already plastered on his face, "Peter wants to know how she is." he said to no-one in particular. He wandered over to the two women and peeked over Healer's shoulder, his eyes flashed up to meet Kait's and he winked. "Is she fixed then?" he asked.

Healer sighed, "Yes boy, but you must be careful with your new mother, she needs rest."

Slightly saluted the elderly woman, "Yes ma'am," his eyes flickered again to Kait, "can you walk?" he asked.

Kait pushed herself up off the mattress with surprising ease, "Apparently I can." she said with a smile. Slightly smiled back and looped an arm around her waist to help her walk, "Thank you Slightly."

The pair hobbled out of the little hut and Kait was surprised to find that the party was still in full swing outside. Peter was sitting in the firelight listening intently to a story as they emerged, he glanced up from across the fire and grinned, he leapt to his feet and flew over to the pair. "Hey, are you okay? Is it fixed? Can you still fly?" The questions went on and on until Slightly elbowed Peter in the ribs.

"Shut up already Peter, let her answer." he laughed.

Peter instantly went silent and allowed Kait to answer, "I'm fine, I can still fly and yes it is fixed. Can we sit down somewhere?" she asked, Peter suddenly looked very worried and led her quickly over to a space a little away from the fire.

He looked at her almost as intently as he had been listening to the story earlier, "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Kait glanced up at him and smiled that instantly soothing smile, "Peter, I'm fine. Honest, I just need to rest a little." She moved to stand up, but collapsed most inelegantly at Peter's feet.

"Kait!" Peter cried as he scooped up his new mother, "Boys, help!" he called pitifully. The lost boys surrounded him almost immediately.

"What's wrong?" Curly asked.

Peter looked down at the unconscious girl, "She won't wake up." he said.

"Healer said she needs to rest, right" Nibs said. He knelt down next to Peter and whispered in his ear, "We need to talk about her, Peter."

Peter glanced up at his most trusted ally. Nibs could always be trusted, for all his wild appearance and jaunty, silent attitude, Peter trusted Nibs even more than he did Slightly. He gave a small nod and lifted Kait in his arms, "Boys, time to go home." He said, "Slightly, you and Nibs take the boys home. I'll be along in a minute."

Slightly nodded and ushered the boys towards the gates, thanking the chief and his wife on their way out. Peter meanwhile, shifted Kait in his arms and flew off into the night. He willed his new friend to wake up, and yet she remained unresponsive. He landed just outside the fairy circle in the Neverwood. Tinker Bell greeted him, whirling around his head as he landed.

"Tink I need to enter, and so does she." Peter said, gesturing to Kait.

Tinker Bell frowned but relented and nodded, Peter followed his fairy friend into the circle. The fairy centre was alive with activity, bright balls of light zipped past Peter's head each heading to the centre tree, it was here where Peter headed also, he laid Kait down at the foot of the great tree and flew up into its branches. Here the energy of Neverland was at its strongest. He settled deep in the branches and took a breath, "What's happening old friend?" he asked.

A soothing melodic voice replied, "Peter child, do not fear. I have not abandoned you."

"I wasn't worried about that." Peter sighed, "I'm worried about Kait."

"Ah, yes… Kaitlin Thorne is indeed special. She has a remarkable power in her." Neverland replied. Peter glanced down to where Kait laid unconscious at the foot of the great tree. "Do not worry over your young friend, she will awaken soon. I shall care for her."

Peter nodded and after a few more seconds in the tree's comforting embrace he leapt out into the air and swooped down to the ground. He knelt down beside Kait and watched as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey." she said.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Peter asked.

"Good." Kait smiled, she looked up at the tree and back at Peter. "Where are we?"

Peter laughed, "About time you realised, we're at the Nevertree. The place where Neverland's energy is strongest."

Kait looked impressed, "No wonder I feel so good then." she grinned. Peter couldn't help but smile back. "Shouldn't we be getting back to the hideout?" Kait asked after a second.

Peter smiled again and helped her to her feet, "Will you be okay to fly?" he asked.

"I'll be fine, I promise." Kait laughed as she rose off the ground. "Come on slowpoke, race you!"

Peter laughed and shot off the ground, "Hope you're feeling speedy Kait!" he laughed.

The pair sped into the darkness, totally unaware of the small group of pirates watching them from the forest.

**A/N: And there you go, another bit of random adventuring and stuff from yours truly. Again, please leave a review. I love them even more than seeing a fave message in my emails. Yours,  
Mags**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So then my friends, here we have another chapter of Thorne, this time involving everyone's favourite villainous pirate, Captain Hook. It also features a few of my very own mermaids. Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: Peter Pan belongs to J.M Barrie and Great Ormond Street Hospital.**

Hook watched the two flying figures from beneath the cover of the trees. His posse stood around waiting for orders nervously. Smee sat nearest, on a tree stump, wiping his spectacles. He glanced up at the Captain before shaking his head and going back to his spectacles. Suddenly Hook snapped, "I want you men to keep an eye on that girl, there's something different about her."

The small group of pirates mumbled their agreements and looked up to watch the small silhouette of the girl as she disappeared into the Never forest. Hook was also watching with grim fascination, there was definitely something that set this girl apart from all the other girls Pan had brought back to Neverland from England. This girl had an unsettling effect of Hook – she felt dangerous, more dangerous than even Pan did, but Pan's danger had dwindled into childish annoyance long ago.

After a few moments staring at the horizon, Hook ordered the men back to the boat. The men left quickly, glad to be off the accursed island and away from the strange feeling it brought.

Meanwhile, somewhere up in the sky, Kait and Peter flew through the air. A strange silence had fallen over the pair; neither really knew what to say. Peter didn't know what was going on anymore, and deep down, it scared him. Just a little though, not enough to stop him enjoying the time he could have with Kait.

Kait on the other hand, was mulling over what Healer had said to her, about her role. What did it mean? She had already decided that she couldn't ask Peter, it was personal. She needed answers though. She glanced back at the cluster of trees they had flown away from; a strange pull seemed to spread through her, something pulling her back to those trees. She sighed and dragged her gaze away from the Nevertree, determined to forget it and have fun. After all, that was the point of Neverland, wasn't it?

After a while, Peter forgot what he was thinking about and changed direction, "Kait, come with me, I want to show you something!" he called as he flew straight past his companion. Kait followed without argument, and allowed Peter to lead the way to Mermaid Lagoon.

The journey didn't take long, because Peter didn't want it to, and they were soon sat in the centre of the lagoon on the smooth rock that always acted as a seat for Peter when he visited. Peter whistled a low long call and leaned back on the rock, looking at the stars scattered in the sky. Kait however, watched the water. She knew about these mermaids from the tales her mother had told her, and wasn't in the mood for a soaking. She watched as a hand slipped out of the water and across the rock, slowly but surely making its way to Kait's wrist. Just as it came within easy reach of her, Kait smashed her fist down on the hand, and watched victorious as it snapped back into the water, a piercing shriek accompanied it from beneath the depths of the sea.

Peter turned at the sound, "What happened?" he asked.

"It's okay, I sorted it." Kait said with a shrug. She smiled as the small group of mermaids lifted their heads from the water, all glowering at Kait.

"Hello girls!" Peter cried gleefully when he saw them.

A fair-haired mermaid dragged her gaze away from Kait and smiled sweetly at Peter, "Hello Peter, we've missed you these moons."

"I went to find a new mother." Peter smiled back.

The mermaid glanced at Kait before turning back to Peter, "I see, aren't you going to introduce us Peter?"

Peter blinked before a look of realisation passed his face, "Oh yeah! Ladies this is Kait, she's my new mother. Kait, this is Ianthe," he pointed to the fair-haired mermaid, "this is Cleodora," a dark-haired mermaid nodded, "Skylla and Sedna" Peter pointed to a pair of younger mermaids further away from the rock, "They're sisters."

"I could tell," Kait smiled, they looked almost as identical as the twins.

"And that one's Lorelei," Kait turned to see where Peter was pointing; Lorelei was by far the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. She was resting against a rock which was rising up from the water, her tail flicked out in front of her, a shock of white against the blue water. Peter gave the mermaid a low, respectful bow, "She's their queen." he explained, Kait followed Peter's lead and bowed to the beautiful queen. She smiled pleasantly at the pair and raised an elegant hand, beckoning them closer.

Peter led Kait by the hand through the air to the rock on which Lorelei sat. "Peter, we are so glad you are safe, you left the safety of the isle for a long time. How went your search?" the queen said, her voice was like a trickling brook.

Peter kneeled before the queen and bowed his head for a moment before speaking, "It went well, your highness. May I introduce Kaitlin, the newest member of my group." He placed a hand on Kait's shoulder and gently pushed her forwards.

Lorelei smiled and held out a hand, Kait glanced at Peter for assistance, but he wasn't looking at her, instead watching the queen. Kait stepped forward and bowed before the royal. Lorelei caught her hand and held it in her own. Her skin was cold but not wet like Kait had expected, she looked at the queen's face and found her staring straight into the deep purple eyes of the mermaid.

They stayed like that for some time, until at last Lorelei moved back and released Kait's hand. "Such a powerful child." She murmured, "We welcome you to these shores Kaitlin, Neverland needs more people like you."

Kait didn't really know how to reply to that, so nodded silently. Lorelei turned her attention to her subjects in the water, "Sisters, we must away now. It has been lovely to meet you Kaitlin, Peter, until next time." Then, with all the grace one would expect from a mermaid, she dived into the water and disappeared beneath the glassy waves.

The mermaids already in the water all dived beneath the water too, Ianthe stayed behind a moment longer than the others, giving Peter a strangely longing look before she disappeared.

Peter waited until he was sure they were alone on the rock before turning to Kait, "Are you okay?" he asked.

Kait was staring at the water where Lorelei had disappeared so hard that Peter expected it to start to boil under the intensity. She jumped at his voice and looked away quickly, "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I was thinking about something, it doesn't matter." She said. A frown danced across her features for a split second, and it left so quickly that Peter couldn't be sure that he ever really saw it at all. "May we go home now, I'm rather tired." Kait sighed.

"Of course, come on." Peter slipped his hand into Kait's and smiled up at her. They were close enough now for Peter to realise that Kait was a little taller than him. Kait smiled back at him and Peter felt a sudden flush of heat climb up his neck, and was glad of the shadows night brought. He looked away and kicked off from the rock, dragging Kait up into the air beside him. They soared through the air and quickly made it back to the home under the ground.

Outside the hideout, Nibs sat waiting for them. He jumped down from his perch in the branches of Hangman's tree and landed neatly beside Peter. "Evening." He said as greeting to the pair. "The rest are all asleep."

Peter nodded at him and turned to Kait, "Why don't you go in and get some sleep, we'll be down in a minute." he said with a reassuring smile.

Kait nodded, "See you in the morning then boys." she said as she turned and climbed down the ladder hidden in the tree.

Nibs waited until she was out of earshot to speak, "Something's different with her."

Peter nodded and flew a little further away from the tree, deeper into the surrounding forest. Nibs sighed and joined him, trudging across the grassy clearing until he reached the log that Peter was laid on. He looked down at the red-haired boy and raised an eyebrow.

Peter ran a hand across his dirt smeared face and sighed, he sat up and looked at his friend, "You're right." he said, "There is something different with Kait, but don't ask me what it is. I don't know."

Nibs sat down silently beside him, "She's not like the others. She's more like you."

This comment got Peter's attention, he turned completely to look at Nibs, "Like me?" he asked.

Nibs sighed and tried to explain it as best he could, "The other girls you brought back had too much of London in them, they weren't as open to how Neverland is. But Kait, she… she just gets it."

Peter took a moment to process what Nibs had said. He nodded as understanding came, "Yes… like the flying, the rest of them weren't very good, even Wendy found it hard. But Kait, she's great at it."

Nibs nodded, "And I know that Neverland fixed her bone. What did you find out at the Nevertree?"

Peter laughed, "Nothing. Neverland doesn't want to talk."

Nibs frowned, "You need to keep an eye on her," he said quietly before standing up and walking back to Hangman's tree, leaving Peter sat on the log staring into space, mulling over what Nibs had told him, and what he had seen himself with Lorelei and the other mermaids earlier.

He sighed and flew up into the air before diving down the slide that led into the home under the ground. He dropped silently to the ground in the centre of the large room, he stood still and took in the sight of his gang scattered around him. Nibs was already in his bed, facing away from Peter. The twins were sleeping side by side in their bed, identical snores drifting through the air. Slightly looked as though he was about to fall out of his hammock, but Peter didn't want to risk waking him by helping him roll back over. Curly was doing a good impression of his namesake, curled up in a tight ball under the covers of his bed in the corner of the room. Tootles was in his nest, a giant cocoon of different cloths and furs surrounding the smallest boy. Peter felt a smile pull at the corners of his mouth.

To the left of him, with an entire side to herself, was Kait. Her bed took up a large part of the wall, and made Kait look much smaller. She was laid with her wild brown hair spread around her like a pool of chocolate and a pale arm contrasting against the dark fur covers. Peter turned and walked over to the foot of her bed, she looked much younger when she was asleep too. A small smile graced her lips, reassuring Peter that the dreamcatcher he had surreptitiously placed above the bed was serving its purpose.

Peter fought a yawn and decided that it was time he got some rest, he would be no fun for anyone if he didn't get some sleep. So Peter wandered across the room to the little room he slept in. he demanded that the room be kept private, because he didn't want the others to see him as vulnerable, ever. He slipped inside and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep in seconds.

**A/N: Did you like it, I hope you did. This is one of my favourite scenes so far. Please leave a review to let me know what you think. Thanks.  
Mags**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, I forgot to update, so here it is for you now. In answer to Double Trouble's question, he is loosely based on the 2003 version yes. **

**Disclaimer: I am not a dead author and therefore cannot be J.M Barrie and own Peter Pan. **

* * *

Nibs and Peter's night time meeting wasn't the only one to be had in Neverland that night. Deep beneath the waves, below Mermaid Lagoon, the high counsel was gathering. Lorelei sat at the head of the vast counsel table, her closest advisor, Tethys, sat to her right, waiting patiently for the meeting to begin. The twenty elders sat around the table, chattering about anything or nothing, all waiting for Lorelei to call the meeting to order.

A simple click of the tongue silenced the room. All eyes turned to look at the queen, "Sisters, a new development has been revealed to me this night. The human child Peter has brought here has such a power in her, I saw in her the future of Neverland."

Gasps and whispers erupted around the table, Nerissa, one of the younger members of the counsel spoke up, "What did you see, your highness?"

Lorelei held out her hands to the mermaids on either side of her, they placed their hand in hers and took the hand of the mermaid next to them until all the elders were holding the hand of the people next to them. Lorelei took a breath and closed her eyes, allowing the memory of her vision to wash over her.

_The waves crash against the sides of the huge pirate ship, dark clouds roll overhead, rain and seawater make the deck hard to stand on. A group of boys stand huddled together against the wall separating the captain's cabin from the main deck. One boy cradles the head of another as blood trickles down from his scalp. The blood is mixed with tears and rain and adds to the slippery coating on the deck._

_In the centre of the deck two figures stand facing each other, swords in hand. The taller man's red coat flows around him and his long black locks whip around his face. He growls at the much smaller figure, which stands with his back against the mast and a fierce snarl dragging the innocence from his face. He no longer looks like joy and youth, but determination and wisdom beyond his years. The taller man lunges forward, but the youth blocks him quickly with his own blade. _

_An iron hook flashes out from beneath the ebony haired figure and claws at his opponent. The youth's blade comes up to block it, but isn't quick enough. The claw-like appendage catches the bare skin of the boy's chest and slams him into the mast. He cries out and presses a hand to the wound. It isn't deep, but it is enough to disadvantage the boy considerably. _

_Suddenly lightning flashes and a sharp silhouette is cast across the deck. "Drop your weapon old man!" a distinctly female voice shouts above the noise of the storm. _

Another flash of lightning and the vision was gone, replaced by a dark nothingness. Lorelei's eyes flickered open to see twenty pairs of eyes looking back at her, a strange mixture of fear and anticipation glittering in every pair. A smile tugged at the corner of Ianthe's mouth, "It is her I assume?" she said coolly.

Lorelei turned her attention to her younger sister, "Yes Ianthe, it is her."

"How can you be sure?" a voice asked from further down the table, Alea raised an eyebrow. Alea was the oldest of the mermaids, and the most sceptical.

"It was her power, no-one else shares her energy signature. It is unique." Lorelei said firmly. "This is my command, no-one harms the Thorne child. Anyone who does so faces the same penalty as the murder of Peter Pan."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the indian camp, Healer sat across from the chief and his wife, they too were conferring about the new mother.

"She is certainly special." the chief mused as he stared into the swirling fire in the centre of the hut.

Healer nodded, "She has a great affinity for Neverland. I have yet to see the ancient one look so favourably on anyone."

The chief's wife, Fighting Ivy looked up from the tea she was drinking, "Surely she can't look more favourably on this child than she does Peter?"

Healer shook her head, "I assure you, the girl was healed in seconds. With Peter it usually takes at least an hour."

"And you say there was no scars?" the chief frowned.

"No scars." Healer nodded. She rose from her seat and inclined her head, "I suggest you keep another lookout on the children at all times. And make sure to bring them here a lot more. Something is shifting in Neverland…" she paused and glanced at the fire again, "We must be sure to be on the winning side once again."

Healer bowed her head once again and slipped out into the cool night. The chief and Fighting Ivy looked at each other for a moment before the chief stood up and walked over to the separated room that acted as the children's room. He peeked inside and watched his two daughters for a moment, Tiger Lily was sleeping peacefully beside Minnow, who was clutching a scrap of cloth to her chest. Both looked exhausted, Fighting Ivy came up behind the chief and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know," she said quietly, "I don't think the shift will be a bad thing, I think it will give Neverland the power she needs to blossom."

* * *

Hook sat at his desk, brooding. "Smee!" he called, waking the bumbling pirate from his pleasant dream of England and cream teas.

"Aye Cap'n?" Smee stammered as he struggled to his feet and opened the door to the Captain's cabin.

"Bring Mister Starkey and Bill Jukes. I want their opinion on something… oh and bring the lads who fought that girl earlier today. I want a word." Hook growled from deep in the shadowy cabin.

"Aye, aye Cap'n." Smee gave a clumsy salute and scurried away from the cabin, leaving Hook to brood in the darkness a little longer. He had become fascinated by this new mother Pan had acquired. From what he had seen of her, she was something entirely new. She didn't dress like a woman should, although at least she wasn't in her night clothes like that wretched Wendy had been. Foolish girl! No, this one seemed very different to the women Pan had brought to Neverland before. To begin with, none of the others had fought pirates quite so efficiently on their first day in Neverland. Usually those brats had to train their mother in sword fighting and flying, but it seemed this girl was already a natural at both.

Hook's ponderings were cut short by a hesitant knock at the door. "Enter!" he snapped.

Again there was hesitation before the door swung open and Starkey entered, he was closely followed by Jukes, Alf Mason, Cookson and Robert Mullins. "You asked to see us Cap'n?" Starkey said.

"I did, come in, don't just stand there in the doorway, you look like naughty school children in the headmaster's office." Hook laughed to himself. The curious child had brought him a new challenge, and those always lightened his usually black moods.

The men shuffled further into the dank cabin and allowed the door to slam shut. For a minute no-one spoke, it was Hook that finally broke the silence. "So, this girl. Tell me about her." He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk.

Mullins spoke up, "Well, we was goin' after this indian brat that were in 'forest. An' Pan an' that girl attacked us. 'girl took little indian an' hid her in a tree, then she came after us. We'd been fine if she han't got involved see. We could'a taken Pan. But she were summ't else… she were vicious."

Hook took a moment to decipher the callous tongue of the pirate and frowned, "So you mean to tell me, Mullins… that a girl beat your group to a pulp?"

Mullins became fascinated with the floor for a minute, "Aye Cap'n." he muttered hastily.

"Get out." Hook hissed. The pirates all turned on their heels, "Not you Starkey, Jukes, you stay too."

Jukes and Starkey glanced at each other before turning back to their captain again. The others disappeared quicker than a rat that's heard a footstep, leaving the three pirates in silence once again. "Take a seat gentlemen, I'll get the whiskey." Hook stood from his luxurious seat and moved across the room to a little locked cabinet, where his private stash of more expensive alcohols was kept.

Jukes and Starkey settled into their respective chairs on the other side of the desk, they were used to this behaviour now. Hook had decided long ago that these two would be his confidants in Neverland, and often called them into his cabin to rant and share the whiskey and troubles of a captain. "What's troubling you then James?" Starkey asked. It was only in the seclusion of the captain's cabin that Hook's Christian name was ever used.

"It's this girl, what do you think of the matter Tom?" Hook looked up at Starkey, deep blue eyes searching his confidant's lighter eyes.

"I reckon she's gonna be a bloody nuisance." Starkey sighed, taking the whiskey Hook offered him and draining it in one.

"William?" Hook offered Jukes a glass, he took it with a nod, "What do you think of this girl, Kaitlin Thorne?"

"I haven't seen what she's like up close yet, but she's going to be a handful to be sure."

Hook nodded, "I think you're right, but is there any chance we can use her?"

Jukes frowned and took a sip of his drink, "Possibly, but she's going to have had all the previous women warning her against us, it's getting more and more difficult ever since Jane."

"Got that right." Starkey muttered.

Hook sighed, "But you still think it's worth a chance?"

"Anything that gets us off this blasted island is worth a chance, however small it might be." Jukes confirmed Hook's thought. Hook nodded and sent them away while he planned his attack. He'd call them back later to go over the details, but for now he had to be alone, with his whiskey and his brilliant mind. He absentmindedly ran a finger over the curve of his iron namesake, he sat for a moment, thinking about the problem the girl posed when something caught his attention.

"Thorne?" he muttered to himself, he rose to his feet and walked over to the cabinet once more. He took out a picture of two young men, one with distinctly black hair, and another with lighter hair. Two names were written on the back of the frame in Hook's curling, elegant hand

_James Hook Nathaniel Thorne_

* * *

Deep within the Neverwood, at the Nevertree, the fairies were conducting their own meeting. All had seen the exchange between Neverland or Aya as she was known to the fairy folk, and Peter. Tinker Bell had snuck from the home under the ground to be part of this meeting. She was the only one to have had direct contact with Kait and wanted to know why she was so special.

Aya, the energy of Neverland, had taken fairy form to communicate better with them and was now sat between the king and queen in the centre of the fairy circle. "Friends, do not worry about my choice to favour Kaitlin above Peter. I will still watch over Peter and his friends as I have always done, but with Kaitlin's powerful heart, I can sustain Neverland much better. It seems that with her innocence and energy I could sustain our homeland, even when she went home."

"But won't she lose the innocence once she goes back?" Someone in the crowd asked.

Aya shook her head, "No, innocence like hers cannot be lost, even her world can't pull that innocence from her. She is stronger than you think my friends. Have courage."

Aya then dissipated back into the Nevertree to rest, and the meeting was over. Tinker Bell looked at the crowds of fairies for a moment before flying off into the night sky, back to protect her Peter and the feral mother he had brought with him.

**A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed so far, they mean so much to me. I think I should thank you all personally, so thank you to the Guests and Double Trouble.  
Mags**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:I apologise profusely for the lack of updates recently. I hope this will make up for it.**

* * *

Kait woke the next morning to the sound of boys shouting. She sat up, still shaking the remnants of sleep from her mind, to see Slightly and Nibs fighting in the middle of the room. They were tumbling around the floor at the moment, Nibs managed to roll Slightly onto his back and pinned him to the floor, Kait watched as Nibs lifted a fist high in the air, he was actually going to punch the smaller boy!

"Nibs!" Kait cried in horror, the boys all turned to look at her in surprise. The twins had been hiding under their bed cover and Tootles had managed to get all the way up to Kait's pillow.

"What?" Nibs asked, confused at the interruption.

"Let Slightly up this instant," Kait demanded, the deeply hidden mother in her flaming into action, "What were you fighting about anyway?"

Nibs did as she said and let a very bashful looking Slightly up, "Well, Peter always leaves me in charge, but he didn't today. He left Nibs in charge," he shot the taller boy a vicious stare.

Kait inhaled deeply, like a mother does when her children have disappointed her, "Peter can't always leave you in charge Slightly, you have to let the other boys have a chance too. Okay?" she gave him a forgiving smile.

Slightly returned the smile with a furious nod and plopped down on his bed. Kait looked around, looking at all the dirty faces around her, a thought crossed her mind, "Where's Curly?" she asked, suddenly panicked.

The boys all turned to look at Curly's empty bed, Nibs paled, "I don't know!" he admitted.

"See if he's hiding anywhere in the home, if not, we'll have to arrange a search for him." Kait said decidedly. The small group split off immediately, running around the home under the ground calling Curly's name over and over again. Each time there was no answer from the blonde haired boy… just their own echoes taunting them.

After ten minutes of fruitless searching they regrouped in the centre room, "Where did Peter go, he should be here to help." Kait said as she ran a hand absentmindedly through Tootles unruly hair, the smallest lost boy was currently sat on her lap sobbing into her shoulder. Kait pulled him back so she could see his tear stained face, "We'll find him Tootles, don't worry."

The twins watched Tootles enviously, "Peter went to get breakfast." one of them said.

"He should be back soon." the other added.

And right on cue, Peter flew into the room, his arms full of fruits and cakes… no-one asked where the cakes had come from, it never even crossed their minds. Peter surveyed the faces surrounding him, he had been expecting cries of joy on his return, but his men and Kait looked much too sombre. "What's wrong?" he asked, dumping his bounty on the foot of Kait's bed.

"Curly's gone missing." Kait explained.

Peter frowned, "Have you searched the hideout?"

"Yes." Nibs muttered.

Peter whirled on him, sword pointed accusingly at his chest, "I left you in charge, why did you let him go missing?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. If Slightly hadn't-"

"-If you and Slightly hadn't got caught up in a stupid argument, you mean?" Kait snapped, Nibs flinched from her harsh words.

Peter noticed a strange energy crackle through the air around them. He placed a hand on Kait's arm and the energy seemed to dissipate. "Right then, we need to find Curly, we can argue over the blame later. Twins, you and Tootles look over the right side of the island, Nibs, Slightly, if you two think you can work together, look over the left side of the island. Kait and I will ask around the clans. Someone has to have seen him."

The group scurried to get out of Hangman's tree as quickly as possible, each snatching up their weapons as they went. Kait and Peter flew off into the air as soon as they were clear of the tree, the boys all hurried off into the Neverwood surrounding their hideout, though none called Curly's name out here, for fear of pirates or Indians.

Peter watched Kait out of the corner of his eye as he flew, her face was a mask of calm, but beneath it Peter was sure she was anything but calm. Her outburst earlier towards Nibs had left him unsure of how to talk to her, the energy that he'd felt couldn't have come from anyone else. He was starting to understand what Lorelei had meant about a powerful child now.

Thunder clapped around them, and yet Kait's cool mask never cracked. She never glanced away from her destination, Mermaid Lagoon. Small drops of rain began to assail them as they flew across Neverland, but still Kait said nothing. Peter did however; see the tears forming in her stormy green eyes. He thought about what he'd been hearing in the wind all day, whispers and rumours about a new favourite of Neverland, but she'd promised not to abandon Peter.

"Kait," Peter said, shouting a little above the thunder and the wind, "Kait, he'll be alright."

Kait turned her head slightly to look at Peter, she sighed and the wind calmed a little, "I know, I just didn't want anything like this to happen when I was mother."

Peter laughed, "This is Neverland – you can't stop things like this happening. And to be honest, I wouldn't want to."

Kait smiled a little, "We still need to find him before anything really bad happens." She flew a little faster towards Mermaid Lagoon, steering herself easily through the turbulent skies until she was hovering just above the lagoon. The rain had let up a little as she came to land on the rock, Peter landed beside her and gave a whistle.

Ianthe was the first to surface, "Hello Peter." she said with a sultry smile, totally ignoring Kait.

"Ianthe, have you seen Curly?" Peter asked, foregoing the pleasantries.

Ianthe huffed in disappointment, "No." She flicked her tail in the air, splashing Peter a little before diving down into the water, sulking spectacularly.

Cleodora had been waiting under the waves for Ianthe to leave, "Peter, Kaitlin," she called, catching the pair's attention. They spun around to see her swimming closer.

Peter knelt down at the edge of the rock, "Hello, have you seen Curly?" he asked.

Cleodora nodded gravely, "I saw him," she said tapping her temple, "I could share it with you."

Peter passed her a hand and turned to Kait, "Kait, come here. Take my hand." Kait did as she was told and took Cleodora's offered hand. A forest filled their minds, a flash of blonde was shrouded in an instant by a dark ominous shadow. Peter gasped as he realised where Curly was. "What's he doing by Crocodile Creek?" he said pulling away from the girls.

"He was taken there," Cleodora said, "by pirates."

Peter growled and gripped his sword, "Come on." he said, turning to Kait, "We have pirates to fight." He rose up from the rock and sped off into the air towards Crocodile Creek.

Kait turned to Cleodora, "Thank you Cleodora, I've got to go stop him from killing someone." She stood up but stopped when a hand clamped around her wrist.

"Kaitlin, you must be careful," Cleodora said quietly, "something is changing in Neverland. Something that needs you, and when it comes, you mustn't blame yourself." With these words Cleodora disappeared under the water again, leaving Kait stood alone in the middle of Mermaid Lagoon. She shook away the sudden chill that crept up her spine and kicked away from the ground after Peter.

She caught up with him easily enough, "Peter, slow down a bit!" she called above the increasing storm, he didn't seem to hear, so she called him again, "Peter!"

He turned suddenly, "What?" Kait stopped in surprise, "We need to help Curly, there isn't time to sit here and chat."

Kait sped up to fly parallel to him, "Just don't kill anyone. He'll be fine."

Peter's mouth twitched at the repeated use of his words, he sighed, "I know… I just don't want them to get hurt."

Kait looked at him dumbly, "You sound like an adult sometimes." she muttered to herself. Peter froze in mid-air and turned to stare at her, apparently he had heard her.

"I am not a grown up." he hissed before soaring off towards Crocodile Creek. Kait sighed and headed after him.

It didn't take them long to reach the creek, nor to find Curly. A shock of blonde hair down below let them know where he was. Kait saw him first; "Down there!" she called, pointing towards the bright fleck of light blonde beneath them. Peter dove through the air, spiralling towards the ground, Kait followed, but at less speed. They landed nearby the clearing under the cover of the trees. Between the trunks they could see Curly in a crudely made bamboo cage, surrounded by pirates.

Peter gave a low growl and Kait's hand instantly went to her sword. She edged closer to her ally, "Any plans?" she whispered, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Not yet, you?" Peter replied.

"Just one." And with that, Kait stepped out into the clearing, unsheathing her sword as she went. "Alright lads," she said, "how's life?"

The pirates surrounding Curly all whirled around to see her, seemingly surprised by the appearance of the girl. She stood with her back to Peter, one hand on her hip and the other leaning on her sword. Her unruly brown hair tumbled down her back and fluttered in the breeze of the darkened woods. "So, who's first?" Kait laughed.

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**A/N: I hope this was enough to make up for the lack of chapters. I will make sure the coming chapters are better.  
Mags**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Oops... I didn't mean to leave it so long before updating, I'm sorry. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

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Kait grinned as the pirates all rushed towards her; she waited silently until the pirates were within a blade's length of her, and sidestepped out of their way. She laughed as she watched them stumble over and look around in confusion. A couple had run straight into the trees behind her, "Wow, I'm overwhelmed." Kait chuckled. She turned to Peter, "Coming to play?"

Peter eagerly joined the fight. The pair made quick work of the pirates, slicing and stabbing at the men with all his might. He ducked under the blade of one pirate while violently kicking at the leg of another, sending the pair crashing into one another. He grinned at Kait and whirled around to face his next opponent.

The grin faded to a scowl, "Hook." He snarled. The clearing froze completely as the two enemies glared at each other in silence for a moment.

"Hello Pan," the man replied, his voice dripping with hatred.

"So this was all your doing?" Peter asked.

"It was, boy. I had to get your attention some way, didn't I? Your little friend was very helpful." his smile sent shivers down Kait's spine. As Hook was about to speak, Peter swung for him, violently slicing through the air and towards the man's neck. Hook easily blocked the attack with his hook and forced Peter back. The young boy fought valiantly, pressing back and sliding out of the way. Hook grabbed Peter by the arm and forced him to the ground, pressing against his elbow joint until Peter's nose was touching the ground.

"Now, now Pan. I only wanted to say hello to your young lady friend here." Hook drawled, his piercing blue eyes meeting Kait's. She kept a cool and level stare as they fought for power. Eventually Kait smirked and pushed the pirate she'd had in a head lock away. She inclined her head toward the captain and walked towards him.

She held out a hand, "You said you wanted to say hello," she said as explanation when he frowned at her, seemingly confused.

"So I did." Hook smiled and took her hand in his, "Hello Miss Thorne, how do you do?"

"Very well thank you, and how are you, Captain?" Kait replied coolly.

Hook laughed, "Well thank you. And all the better for making your acquaintance."

Kait smiled, it wasn't a kind smile though, it was a cold, calculating smile that made even Peter's blood run cold for a second. He was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that smile. It even made Hook's dark smile falter for a moment, and in that moment, Kait knew she had him. She let go of his hand and whispered, "I'm sure there are ways to change that."

Hook watched as this strangely formidable teenage girl turned and walked away from him swinging her sword over her shoulder as she went. He also watched as Peter glanced between the captain and the girl for all of two minutes before flying after Kait with a final laugh, he was laughing at Hook, damn children.

The pirate captain snarled and flounced off into the thick forest, his posse hurrying to follow him. Kait waited until she could no longer hear the clumsy footsteps of the pirates before turning around with a grin. Peter landed beside her, "What was that about?" he asked heatedly.

Kait's grin widened, "Don't worry Peter; I'm not stealing your fight." She turned to the tree that Curly was struggling down, "Need a hand kid?" she laughed as she saw him. She flew over to him and helped him down with ease.

Curly muttered a thank you and shuffled over to Peter. Peter was still watching Kait closely, "You still haven't answered the question." he said with a bit more force than was necessary.

Kait suddenly turned on him, "It's nothing to do with you." She snapped. She switched her attention to Curly, "You going to tell us how you ended up in a bamboo cage in Crocodile Creek?" she asked as she knelt in front of him.

Curly glanced nervously at her before looking towards Peter and back to Kait again, "I… I didn't like the fighting at home, so I went outside. But there were pirates waiting in the forest and–" he burst into tears, great huge sobs that wracked his whole body.

Kait placed a tender arm around his skinny shoulders, "Hey, it's okay." she soothed.

"I'm sorry." Curly sniffed between sobs.

Kait glanced at Peter, willing him to help, "It's not your fault Curly," she assured him, "we don't blame you, do we Peter?"

Curly gazed up at Peter hopefully, his big baby blue eyes were brimming with tears. Peter sighed, "No, it's not you I blame." He said with a stern frown directed at Kait. He knew it was her fault now. If he hadn't brought this strange girl who shrouded herself in mystery to Neverland then Peter wouldn't have let himself get distracted by her beauty and general awesomeness, and Curly would never have been kidnapped.

Kait was watching him carefully, she looked nervous. Suddenly she sniffed and stood up, "Right, well. Let's get back to the hideout shall we?" she said, dusting herself down. She helped Curly to his feet and began to walk off in the general direction of Hangman's tree, when there was a low growl from the thick woods in front of her. She stopped dead.

Peter slid his sword out of its sheath and flew closer to her. However much he was angry with her, he still felt an overwhelming desire to protect her. Probably because she was a stark reminder of Wendy, and the fact that he hadn't been able to protect her from the world. And she had left him because of it.

Kait was frozen where she stood. She gave a terrified glance towards Peter before staring wide-eyed at the huge shape looming towards them out of the trees. "Peter, what do we do?" she whispered.

"We should just fly away now, as fast and far as possible."

"What about Curly?"

Peter frowned towards the young boy who was cowering in the centre of the clearing. "I could carry him, will you be able to fly on your own?" he said in a low voice.

Kait nodded and began to back away towards Curly. Peter joined her and held out a hand to Curly, "Curly, come with me, we're going to fly out of here as quick as we can." Curly nodded, dumbfounded and clambered onto Peter's back. Peter glanced at Kait for a second before they both shot up into the air, soaring away from the clearing with ease. Curly hung on tightly to Peter's back, his pale knuckles going even whiter as he clung to Peter's shirt. Soon only the deep growls of the crocodile could be heard as the wind rushed past their ears.

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**A/N: Again, sorry for the delay, please leave a review, they brighten my day. **  
**Mags**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Oh my word, I'm so sorry for how long this has taken me to update, however here is the next chapter to make up for it. Enjoy. :)**

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Kait glanced over at the two figures flying among the clouds beside her as they made their way back to the Hangman's Tree. She had tried a few times now to have a proper conversation with Peter about what happened at Crocodile Creek, but the stubborn boy wasn't for talking. Instead, he had flown even further away from her and kept absolutely silent. Kait was about to make her fifth attempt to talk to Peter, when an arrow shot through the sky and hit Peter in the shoulder.

He screamed and reflexively let go of Curly, who until now had been hanging in Peter's arms quite calmly. In response, Curly also screamed as he hurtled towards the ground. Peter too was falling, curling himself into a ball as he went. Kait glanced between the two and then shot downward to catch Curly, she spiralled through the air, arm outstretched in an attempt to reach the small figure. "Curly!" She yelled, but the wind stole away her cry. Her fingers grazed his and she pushed herself that little bit closer, wrapping herself around the small boy and cushioning his fall. All the air left her lungs as she made impact with the ground, she gently shoved Curly off her and fought to control her breathing. Once it was again under control she looked to the sky and saw Peter tumbling towards her.

With a kick, Kait pushed herself into the sky once more to save the boy who had been the hero of all her stories. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to her, he was a dead weight, he'd passed out. Kait landed as gently as she could and laid Peter down on the ground in front of her, kneeling beside him she gingerly rolled him over onto his back so she could see the wound.

The arrow was in deep, and she didn't have a chance of sorting it here. "Curly, come here." She whispered, their attacker must still be in the surrounding forest, and she didn't want to attract anymore attention than she already had. Curly crept over and crouched opposite her, "Do you know who this arrow belongs to?" Kait asked.

Curly nodded, "It's an indian arrow. They must be angry for something." He glanced around the dimly lit forest, "Can we go now?" he almost pleaded.

"Yeah, come on." Kait whispered, she curled an arm beneath Peter's head and under his legs, and gently lifted him off the ground, eliciting a small groan from the injured boy, "Shh, Peter, you're okay." Kait murmured as she set off walking through the dense forest. She didn't know where she was going exactly; she was going on instinct, hoping it would lead her back to the Lost Boys' hideout. They walked for a while, creeping through the forest in absolute silence, until they came to a part of the forest that Curly didn't recognise at all. They had arrived in a clearing with one large tree in the directly in the centre and a ring of smaller trees surrounding it. "Didn't mean to come here." Kait muttered. She was about to turn around and head off into the darkness again when a sudden urge to enter the fairy circle overtook her. "Curly," she said, "Will you be alright here for a minute?"

Curly looked doubtful, but nodded all the same. But a strange voice interrupted their conversation, "He need not stay outside my protection child, bring him in with you."

Kait looked around, trying to find the source of that beautiful voice, but there was none to be found. She glanced back at Curly who was frowning at her, apparently he hadn't heard the voice.

"Come on, I need to go to that tree." Kait said, turning back to the circle of trees, she marched straight through the gap between the nearest trees and straight to the centre of the circle. She stood at the base of the tree, still holding Peter in her arms. Curly stood further back, looking very confused and sheepish indeed. Kait took a deep breath and said "I'm not really sure why I'm asking a tree for help, but it feels right. So if you can help, please do." Kait was sure nothing would happen.

To her surprise, something did happen. A golden light began to light up the tree, and a strange dust began to converge and take form in front of Kait. She stepped back in shock; the dust was taking on the form of a woman, the most beautiful woman Kait had ever laid eyes on.

The woman smiled at Kait, "Hello Kaitlin Thorne." Kait instantly recognised the voice. "You need not fear me, my name is Aya."

"Nice to meet you Aya." Kait said, unsure how this conversation had already become so formal.

"Likewise Kaitlin," her eyes glided down to look at the prone figure in Kait's arms, "may I?" She asked, nodding her head towards Peter and stepping closer.

Kait simply nodded, Aya lifted Peter out of Kait's arms and took him in her own, as soon as her hand made contact with his skin, a golden stream of light began to pour from her fingertips and over Peter. She turned away from Kait and placed Peter ever so gently at the base of the large central tree, where more shimmering light began to cascade from onto Peter.

Aya turned back to Kait, "I must say, you are taking this very well." She mused, cocking her head slightly.

Kait laughed, "I guess with my family history I just got used to it all."

"Indeed, you and I have a lot to talk about Kaitlin Thorne, Neverland has great use for you."

Kait raised an eyebrow, "Really, I was convinced I only had one reason for being here."

Aya smiled, "We both know that's not true. You already have two reasons for being here."

Kait's face dropped, "How did you know?"

"I know all I need to about you, you allowed me to enter your dreams long ago child, I am Neverland after all." Aya shrugged. "But that is a conversation for later, I had other reasons for drawing you here tonight."

"Drawing me here? So you caused Peter's injury?" Kait suddenly snapped.

"I am the spirit of Neverland itself; I cause everything on this island." Aya laughed. She quickly changed the subject, "Kaitlin, you are not a stupid child, I will not harm you, but I need to show you what I see." Aya held out a hand, waiting for Kait to take it.

Hesitantly, Kait placed her hand in Aya's delicate hand, at first she wasn't sure if she had even touched the woman, her skin was barely there, as though she was a ghost. What Kait did feel was the sharp snap of an image appearing in her mind, and a voice accompanying it.

"_Kaitlin, do not fear, I only want to show you a little of your potential."_

_The image that appeared in Kait's mind was that of a very familiar face, but then again, it was so much older… It didn't look familiar at all. A small part of Kait's mind wanted to tear away and not see this, she didn't want to see herself older. She never wanted to grow up, well that wasn't quite true, but she didn't want to lose the freedom that youth brought for her. _

"_You don't have to lose it you know." Aya's voice rang like a bell through Kait's head._

"_What do you mean?" Kait replied._

"_Your youth doesn't equal your freedom, whatever Peter thinks. It is perfectly possible for you to grow up and still keep Neverland in your heart." The image began to grow outward, until the older Kait was surrounded by small children, reading from a book in what looked like a school._

"_I become a teacher?" Kait laughed._

"_No, not if you don't want to, this is only a possibility." Aya said, Kait felt Aya's presence slip from her mind leaving her to ponder what she'd been told for a moment._

Kait let go of Aya's hand. She looked up at the spirit of Neverland, somehow, that brief moment of sharing her mind with the spirit had opened Kait's eyes to things she'd never even noticed before. A quick glance at Peter told her that he was already nearly fully healed, Aya had seen to that.

Kait even knew the very moment Peter was going to wake up, she could see everything with the clarity that she knew Peter saw with, so when he gasped and shot into a sitting position Kait didn't even blink. Aya slowly turned to Peter, "I think you and Kait need to have a proper talk soon Peter. But for now, go back to your hideout and rest."

Peter looked at the two women standing before him and understood that something had changed.

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**A/N: Gah, please don't hate me for the rubbish update, I promise the gap between this and the next won't be as long, college took over my life for a while. As always, reviews are like cookies... I love 'em, so keep 'em coming.  
Mags**


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